Mr Gammon; viz. hastening up to the polling-booth, without a word to any one, and, by placing Titmouse at the top of the poll, destroy Gammon's motive for commencing his vindictive proceedings, and so take him in his own trap. Gammon then returned to the polling-booth, having named the signal by which, while in the booth, he was to be apprised of success, and resumed his former position, without giving to any one near him the slightest intimation of what he had been doing. If he imagined, however, that any movement of his, at so critical a moment, had not been watched, he was grievously mistaken. There were three persons whose sole business it had been, during the whole of that day, to keep a lynx eye upon his every motion, especially as connected with the Quaint Club. But his cunning emissary was equal to the exigency; and having, unseen, reconnoitred the streets for a few moments, he imagined that he detected one, if not two spies, lurking about. He therefore slipped out of a low back window, got down four or five back yards, and so across a small hidden alley, which enabled him to enter, unperceivedly, into the back room of the house he wished. Ben! Ben!" he gasped, with an air of consternation. Hallo, man! what is't?" quoth Ben, in a hurried whisper. "Done! every man of you sold! Mr Gammon turned tail on you! Just happened to overhear him swear a solemn oath to Mr Mudflint, that before four-and-twenty hours" "Lord!-you did!-did you really?" "So help me !" exclaimed the man, aghast. "But he has you now, though; and you'll find he's a devil incarnate!But stop, I see"-he seemed as if a thought had suddenly glanced across his puzzled and alarmed mind-"I'll tell you how to do him, and save yourselves yet." "O Lord!-eh ?" exclaimed Ben, breathlessly. "But are your men all together?" "Oh ay! in five miuutes time we could all be on our way to the booth." "Then don't lose a minute-or all's up for ever!-Don't explain to them the fix they're in till it's all over—and if ever you tell 'em, or any one, the bit o' service I've" "Never, Thomas, so help me- - !" quoth Ben, grasping his companion's hand, as in a vice. "Off all of you to the booth, and poll for life and death, for Titmouse." "What? Come-come, Master Thomas !" Ay, ay-you fool! Don't you see? Make him win the election, and then, in course, Gammon's no cause to be at you-he'll have got all he wants." "My eyes!" exclaimed Ben, as he suddenly perceived the stroke of policy. He snapped his fingers, buttoned his coat, popped out of the house-within a few moments he was in the midst of the club, who were all in a back yard, behind a small tavern which they frequented. "Now, lads!" he exclaimed, with a wink of his eye. He took the yellow and the blue colours out of his bosom: returned the blue, and mounted the yellow: so in a trice did every one present, not one single question having been asked at Ben, in whom they had perfect confidence. To return, however, to Mr Gammon. "What's to be done?" quoth Ben, It was now a minute or two past the the perspiration bursting out all over half hour-there was scarcely half an his forehead. "We've been made the hour more before the election must cursedest fools of by some one!-close. The mob were getting sullen. Hang me if I think the old beast at The Quaint Club were being asked for Fotheringham, or the young cub-now with hisses, then with cheers. either, has ever meant"All eyes were on Gammon, who felt that they were. His face bore witness to the intensity of his emotions; he did not any longer even attempt to disguise his desperate disappointment. His nerves were strung to their high "What signifies it? It's all too late now. "Isn't there any way-eh? To be sure, I own I thought we were pitched a leetle too high with Mr Gam" est pitch of tension; and his eye "Tit and triumph, on the other! 88! Majority "Hurrah!-hurrah! — hip, hip, hip, hurrah!" burst from the crowd, while hands were upraised and whirled round, hats flung into the air, and every other mark of popular excitement exhibited. "Titmouse!-Titmouse!NINE TIMES NINE FOR MR TITMOUSE!' was called for, and responded to with thrilling and overpowering effect. The newly elected member, however, On marched the club, two and two, could not be pinched, shaken, or and arm-in-arm, with rapid step; their roused, out of the drunken stupor faces flushed with excitement and ex- into which, from the combined inultation - their hands vehemently fluence of liquor and excitement, he shaken by the shouting crowd, who had sunk. To enable him to go opened a broad lane for them up to through the responsible duties of the the polling-booth. Oh, the contrast day-viz. bobbing his head every now exhibited in the faces of those stand- and then to the worthy and indepening there! What gloom, what vexa- dent electors who came to invest him tion, what despair, on the one hand-with the proud character of their rewhat signs of frantic excitement, joy, presentative in the House of Com mons-he had brought in his pocket | vate profligacy, this has been it; and a flask of brandy, which had been thrice replenished in a word, the popular idol was decidedly not presentable and under the impulse of strong emotion, Mr Gammon, infinitely to the disgust of the Reverend Smirk Mudflint, who was charged up to his throat with combustible matter, and ready to go off at an instant's notice, stepped forward, and on removing his hat, was received with several distinct and long-continued rounds of applause. Silence having been at length partially restored Yes, gentlemen," he commenced, in an energetic tone, and with an excited and determined air and manner, "well may you utter those shouts of joy, for you have fought a noble fight, and won a glorious victory, (great cheering). Your cause, the cause of freedom and good government, is triumphant over all opposition, (immense cheering). The hideous forms of bigotry and tyranny are at this moment lying crushed and writhing, (vehement cheering rendered the rest of the sentence inaudible). Gentlemen, truth and independence have this day met and overthrown falsehood and slavery, (cheers), in spite of the monstrous weapons with which they came into the field, (groans) bribery, (groans), corruption, (groans), intimidation, (hisses), coercion and treachery, (mingled groans and hisses). But, gentlemen, thank God, all was in vain! (enthusiastic cheering). I will not say that a defeated despot is at this moment sitting with sullen scowl in a neighbouring castle, (tremendous shouts of applause); all his schemes frustrated, all his gold scattered in vain, and trampled under foot by the virtuous electors whom he sought first to corrupt, and then degrade into slaves, (great cheering). Gentlemen, let us laugh at his despair, (loud and prolonged laughter); but let us rejoice like men, like freemen, that the degraded and execrable faction to which he belongs is defeated, (cheering). Gentlemen, if ever there was a contest in which public spirit and principle triumphed over public and pri by this time to-morrow, hundreds of constituencies will be told, as their own struggles are approaching, to— look at Yatton-to emulate her proud and noble example; and England will soon be enabled to throw off the hateful incubus that has so long oppressed her, (immense cheering). But, gentlemen, you are all exhausted, (No! no! and vehement cheers); Mr Titmouse's friends are all exhausted after the great labour and excitement of this glorious day, and need repose, in order that on the morrow we may meet refreshed, to enjoy the full measure of our triumph, (cheering). In particular, your distinguished representative, Mr Titmouse, worn out with the excitement of the day, long depressed by the adverse aspect of the poll, was so overpowered with the sudden and glorious change effected by that band of patriots who- (the rest of the sentence was drowned in cheering). Gentlemen, he is young, and unaccustomed to such extraordinary and exciting scenes, (hear, hear, hear!) but by the morrow he will have recovered sufficiently to present himself before you, and thank you with enthusiasm and gratitude, (cheers). In his name, gentlemen, I do, from my soul, thank you for the honour which you have conferred upon him, and assure you that he considers any past success with which Providence may have blessed him, (hear, hear, hear!) as nothing, when compared with the issue of this day's struggle, (cheering). Rely upon it, that his conduct in Parliament will not disgrace you, (nd, no, no!) And now, gentlemen, I must conclude, trusting that with victory will cease animosity, and that there will be an immediate declaration of those feelings of frank and manly cordiality, and good feeling, which ought to distinguish free fellow-citizens, and which, above all, are signally characteristic of Englishmen, (cheering). Shake hands, gentlemen, with a fallen enemy, (we will, we will!) and forget, having conquered, that you had ever fought." With these words, uttered with the fervour and eloquence which had indeed distinguished the whole of his briefaddress, he resumed his hat, amidst re-echoing shouts of "three times three for Mr Titmouse!" "three times three for Mr Gammon!"-"nine times nine groans for Mr Delamere!' -all of which were given with tumultuous energy. The two bands approached; the procession formed; the nearly insensible Titmouse, his face deadly pale, and his hat awry, was partly supported and partly dragged along between Mr Gammon and Mr Going Gone; and to the inspiring air of "See the Conquering Hero comes,' and accompanied by the cheering crowd, they all marched in procession to Mr Titmouse's committee-room. He was hurried up-stairs; then led into a bedroom; and there soon, alas! experienced the overmastering power of sickness; which instantly obliterated all recollection of his triumph, and made him utterly unconscious of the brilliant position to which he had just been elevated-equally to the honour of himself and his constituency, who justly and proudly regarded "TITTLEBAT TITMOUSE, ESQ. M.P." as the glorious first-fruits to them of the glorious "Bill for giving Everybody Everything." CHAPTER IV. SERIOUS INCIDENTS FOR THE CONSIDERATION OF THE VICTORS; WHO HAVE ALSO TO FIGHT ANOTHER BATTLE ON NEW GROUND. "OILY AT a late hour on the night of the elec- consult upon so startling an incident, tion, an interview took place between one still more so came to light ;— Ben Bran and Mr Gammon, of which five active members were not to be all that I shall say at present is, that found! Writs in actions for penalties it was equally confidential and satis- of £500 each, were on the same day factory. There can be no harm, how- served upon- Barnabas Bloodsuck, ever, in intimating that Mr Gammon Smirk Mudflint (otherwise called the made no allusion to the arrival of the Reverend Smirk Mudflint), Cephas Greek kalends; but he did to -the Woodlouse, and-woe is me that I fifteenth day after the meeting of should have it to record!Parliament. He satisfied Ben-and through him the Quaint Club-that Lord De la Zouch's agents had been only deluding them, and had laid a deep plan for ensnaring them-which Gammon had early seen through, and endeavoured to defeat. A little circumstance which happened some two or three days afterwards, seemed to corroborate the truth of at least a portion of his statements-viz. eight prosecutions for bribery were brought against as many members of the Quaint Club: and on their hastily assembling to *See APPENDIX. The GAMMON, gentleman, one of the attorneys of our lord the king, before the king himself at Westminster." amount claimed from him was £4000; from Bloodsuck, £3000; and from Mudflint, £2500, which would, alas! have alone absorbed all the pew-rents of his little establishment for one hundred years to come, if his neat little system of moral teaching should so long live. What was the consternation of these gentlemen to discover, when in their turn they called a private meeting of their leading friends, that one of them also was missing-viz. Judas M'Do'em! Moreover, it was palpa- | chamber candle, and retired to bed, but not to rest; for he spent several hours in endeavouring to retrace every step which he had taken in the election-with a view to ascertain how far it could be proved that he had legally implicated himself. The position in which, indeed, he and those associated with him in the proceedings, were now placed, was one requiring his most anxious consideration; with a view, not merely to the retention of Mr Titmouse's seat, so hardly won, but to the fearful personal liabilities with which it was sought to fix himself, Gammon. The inquiries which he instituted into the practices alleged to have prevailed upon the other side, led tono satisfactory results. If the enemy had bribed, they had done so with consummate skill and caution. Yet he chose to assume the air of one who thought otherwise; and gave directions for writs for penalties to be forthwith served upon Mr Parkinson, Mr Gold, Mr St Aubyn, and Mr Milnthorpe-all of whom, as indeed he had expected, only laughed at him. But it was woefully different as regarded himself and his friends; for, before Mr Crafty took his departure from Yatton, he had collected a body of evidence, against all of them, of fearful stringency and completeness. In fact, Lord De la Zouch had determined that, if it cost him ten thousand pounds more, he would spare no effort, as well to secure the seat for his son, as to punish those who had been guilty of the atrocious practices which had been revealed to him. ble that amidst an ominous silence and calmness on the other side-even on the part of the True Blue - a guarded, systematic, and persevering search for evidence, was going on; and with all Gammon's self-possession, the sudden sight of Mr Crafty stealthily quitting the house of an humble Yellow voter, a week after the election, occasioned him somewhat sickening sensations. Gammon was not unaccustomed to wade in deep waters; but these were very deep! A great point, however, had been gained. Mr Titmouse was M.P. for Yatton; and Mr Gammon had maintained his credit in high quarters, where he had stood pledged for the result of the election; having been long before assured that every member returned into the new Parliament was worth his weight in gold. Such were the thoughts passing through the acute and powerful mind of Gammon, as he sate late one night, shortly afterwards, alone at Yatton, Mr Titmouse having retired to his bedroom half stupified with liquor, and anxious to complete matters by smoking himself to sleep. The wind whistled cheerlessly round the angle of the Hall in which was situated the room where he sate, his feet resting on the fender, his arms folded, and his eyes fixed on the fire. Then he took up the newspaper recently arrived from town, which contained a report of his speech to the electors at the close of the poll; it was the organ of the Whig party-the Morning Growl; and its leading article commented in encomiastic terms upon his Need I say with what intense inaddress, "given in another part of the terest, with what absorbing anxiety, paper." His soul heaved with disgust the progress of this contest had been at the thoughts of his own dissimula- watched by the Aubreys? From Lady tion;-" Independence!" "Purity of De la Zouch and other friends, but Election!" "Public Principle!" "Tri- more especially from Dr Tatham, who umph of Principle !" "Popular enthu-had regularly forwarded the True siasm!" "Man of the people!"—"Look, Blue, and also written frequent and thought he-eugh—at Titmouse! Is full letters, they had learned, from representation an utter farce-a mere imaginary privilege of the people? If not, what but public swindlers are we who procure the return of such idiots as-faugh! Would I had been on the other". He rose, sighed, lit his time to time, all that was going on. Mr Aubrey had prepared them for the adverse issue of the affair; he had never looked for anything else; but could he or any of them feel otherwise than a painful and indig. |